ANALISIS KINERJA KARBON AKTIF TERHADAP ADSORPSI EMAS UNTUK MENENTUKAN KARBON AKTIF OPTIMUM PADA PROSES CARBON IN LEACH

Abstract

Activated carbon is a critical component in the Carbon In Leach (CIL) gold processing method; however, differences in quality among vendors can reduce adsorption efficiency and gold recovery at PT Meares Soputan Mining (MSM). This study aimed to evaluate the performance of 12 activated carbon samples from various vendors to determine the most optimal carbon for use in the CIL process. Laboratory-scale testing was conducted using three parameters: the attrition test to measure physical resistance to abrasion, gold adsorption kinetics analysis employing the Power Law model to obtain the adsorption rate constant (k), and %Relative Activity to assess gold adsorption effectiveness relative to the existing operational carbon standard. Gold concentration data were analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Results showed attrition values ranging from 1.70% to 15.50%, k constants between 111 and 423, and %Relative Activity between 49% and 149%. Based on overall evaluation using a matrix and scoring system, sample c was identified as the most optimal activated carbon, delivering the best balance between physical durability (3rd in the attrition test) and high gold adsorption performance (2nd in both Au kinetics and %Relative Activity). These findings provide a strong technical basis for PT MSM in selecting the most suitable activated carbon to improve operational efficiency and sustain optimal gold recovery.